The month of May takes its name from Maia, the Greek goddess of growth and the mother of Hermes. Fittingly, May marks the height of spring’s renewal. It’s the fifth month in both the Gregorian and Julian calendars—a surprisingly consistent detail in the ever-shifting world of timekeeping.
Curiously, May carries an old superstition: it’s considered an unlucky month for weddings. This belief is partly tied to the ill-fated marriages of Mary, Queen of Scots, who wed in May with tragic results. On the other hand, May seems to smile on U.S. presidents—none have died in this month, and two, Harry S. Truman and John F. Kennedy, were born in May.
Spring is now in full bloom. Tender blossoms release their sweet fragrance as winter’s chill retreats. The soft, warming air and delicate mists stir the senses, turning thoughts toward love, renewal, and—in true seasonal fashion—salad.
Indeed, May is National Salad Month in the United States. By happy coincidence, the second full week of May is also National Herb Week. It’s the perfect time to celebrate the earth’s fresh greenery by bringing verdure to your plate—or your bowl. Salad, after all, is nothing if not versatile.
Carnivorous readers disinclined to celebrate National Salad Month can choose from any of the following celebrations, all of which last the entire month of May:
Asian Pacific American Heritage Month
National Smile Month
Digestive Diseases Awareness Month
National Barbeque Month
National Bike Month
National Egg Month
National Hamburger Month
More Than Just a Pretty Face Month
Please rise, (or not.) Or take a knee, (or not.)
May 1 is celebrated around the world as May Day — everywhere, that is, except the United States, Canada, and South Africa. In most places, modern May Day festivities involve massive outdoor gatherings, bright banners, catchy slogans, and, more often than not, a generous dose of tear gas.
The holiday traces back to the American labor movement of the 1880s, specifically the Haymarket affair of 1886 in Chicago. Depending on whom you ask, the tragedy was sparked by either overzealous cops with too many guns or overzealous anarchists with too many bombs (i.e., one). But really, it no longer matters whom you ask — all the eyewitnesses are long dead, and they’d all give you the same answer now: none.
Either way, the combination of nervous, heavily armed police and edgy, bomb-throwing anarchists was never going to win any Nobel Peace Prizes. As a result, while the rest of the world marks May Day with marches and clashes, Americans opted for a safer route: we celebrate Labor Day in September, with beer, barbecues, and almost no tear gas.
Call it complacency if you like, but when it comes to steak, we know exactly what we’re doing.
The Haus of Dcaligari 